ENGLISH QUIZ 19.08.2020

1.Consider the following statements related to Atal ranking ARIIA 2020:

1.The Atal Rankings of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020 has been released .

2.In 2018, IIT Madras emerged as the top Innovative Institution and also was one of the top 10                     institutes in Public funded categories.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

2.Consider the following statements:

1.Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) set up in Karnataka.

2.Constituted in 1987, it is a government regulatory agency that controls the prices of pharma drugs            in the country.

3.This organization publishes the lists of medicines and their maximum prices under the Drug Prices            Control Order (DPCO).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 are correct

B. 1 and 3 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. All of the above

3.Which of the following banks has launched ‘DIGITAL APNAYEN’ campaign to encourage customers to use digital banking channels?

A. Punjab National Bank

B. Bank of baroda

C. Bank of india

D. United Bank of India

4.Which intergovernmental organization has launched project ’Nirmanshree’ for enhancing the women skill towards housing construction sector?

A. ASEAN

B. EUROPEAN UNION

C. BIMSTEC

D. BRICS

5.Team of researchers of which institutions have developed a sustainable process for making brick-like structures named “Space Bricks” on the surface of the moon in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)?

A. Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi

B. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

C. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore

D. Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI), Roorkee

6.The National Stock Exchange of India jointly developed and launched Platform for Investor Education (PIE), an online investor education resource centre with which Business school?

A. Indian Institute of Management Kanpur

B. Indian Institute of Management Delhi

C. Indian Institute of Management Ranchi

D. Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

7.Famous sportsperson Chetan Chauhan passed away recently, he was associated with which sports?

A. Cricket

B. Hockey

C. Badminton

D. Football

8.Who has won the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix 2020 held at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain?

A. Max Verstappen

B. Lewis Hamilton

C. Walteri Bottas

D. Fernando Alonso

ANSWERS:-

Answer: 1)A      

Explanation

The Atal Rankings of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020 has been released .IIT-Madras has again topped the rankings. SR Engineering College, Telangana has topped the top private higher education institution in the country. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Minister of State for Education Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre were also present at the ceremony.

Ranking of Center funded institution

1. IIT Madras
2. IIT Bombay
3. IIT Delhi
4. IISc Bangalore
5. IIT Kharagpur
6. IIT Kanpur
7. IIT Mandi
8. NIT Calicut
9. IIT Roorkee –
10. Hyderabad University

Among the self finance category, SR Engineering College, Telangana topped the ARIIA Ranking 2020. In the category of private institutions, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Odisha was the top performer. Under Women (only higher educational institutions), Avinashilingam Institue for Home Science and Higher Education for Women emerged as the top performer. Under the category of State Funded Autonomous Institutions, College of Engineering Pune, Maharashtra was the top performer. The Institute of Chemical Technology, Maharashtra was the top performer in State Funded Universities category.

Categories

• The ARIIA, this year, has introduced special prize for women higher educational institutions. The other categories of the ranking include

Centrally funded institutions

1. State Funded Universities
2. State Funded Autonomous Universities
3. Private Institutions (self finance)
4. Private or Deemed Universities

Therefore, in all the ranking is released under six categories including the public funded category.

Indicators of the rankings

• The major indicators of the rankings are innovations in governance of institution, innovative learning methods and courses, technology transfer and commercialisation, intellectual property generation, promotion and supporting entrepreneurship development, awareness activities that aim in promoting idea generation and innovation, support innovations and start ups, expenses spent and revenue generated.

Background

• ARIIA, 2020 was launched by Ministry of Education. It is to be noted that the Ministry of Human Resources and Development was renamed to Ministry Education.
• This step was taken when the GoI unveiled National Education Policy, 2020.
• The ARIIA is implemented by All India council for Technical Education (AICTE).
• In 2019, IIT Madras emerged as the top Innovative Institution and also was one of the top 10 institutes in Public funded categories.

Answer: 2)B

Explanation

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda Gowda has announced the establishment of a Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) in Karnataka.

What are Price Monitoring and Resource Units (PMRU)?

• It is a registered society and shall function under the direct control and supervision of State Drug Controller of respective states. The unit shall be funded by NPPA for its recurring and non-recurring expenses.

Functions:

• Help NPPA and State Drug Controller in ensuring availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.
• Organise seminars, training programs and other information, education and communication (IEC) activities in the areas of availability and affordability of medicines for all.
• Collect samples of medicines, collect and analyse data and make reports with respect to availability and over-pricing of medicines for taking action under the provisions of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO).

About NPPA

• Constituted in 1997, it is a government regulatory agency that controls the prices of pharma drugs in the country.
• This organization publishes the lists of medicines and their maximum prices under the Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO).
• The last such order came into being in 2013 and that has a list of 384 drugs in it.

Answer: 3)A

Explanation

Punjab National Bank has launched a campaign named ‘DIGITAL APNAYEN’ to encourage customers to use digital banking channels. The campaign launched by the bank’s Managing Director S S Mallikarjuna Rao on the occasion of Independence Day is till March 31, 2021. PNB encourage customers to use digital channels and participate in the noble cause of donating to the PM CARES Fund for COVID-19.

Under the campaign:

• PNB will contribute Rs 5 towards the PM CARES Fund on behalf of each customer conducting the first financial transaction to activate their RuPay Debit card either on point of sale (PoS) or e-commerce platform, under the campaign ‘DIGITAL APNAYEN’.
• PNB aimed at the financial and digital inclusion of millions of Indians, for making banking services universally accessible to all.

PNB Headquarters: New Delhi.

PNB Founded: 19 May 1894, Lahore, Pakistan.

PNB Founders: Lala Lajpat Rai, Dyal Singh Majithia.

Answer: 4)B

Explanation

European Union has launched project ’Nirmanshree’ for enhancing the women skill towards housing construction sector. This is the first-of-its-kind sustainable housing on a large scale in India with 1-million-euro. The project will be implemented in Beed and Osmanabad districts of Maharashtra and the Dhenkanal and Jajpur districts of Odisha. A non-profit organisation, Habitat for Humanity India has also join hands with EU for funding this project. The total cost of the project is EUR 9,49,694 (INR 7,40,85,628 or US$1,075,307).90 percent of fund provides by EU and remaining 10 percent will be issued by Habitat for Humanity India.

Answer: 5)C

Explanation

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed sustainable process to make space bricks on lunar surface.  It will enable making load bearing bricks by using lunar soil, bacteria and guar beans along with assembling structures for habitation on the moon surface in future. It uses urea sourced from human urine, which could be mixed with lunar soil to build structures on the moon decreasing overall expenditure considerably.

Need for Space Brick:

• The cost of transporting one pound of construction material from earth to moon takes around Rs.7.5 lakhs.
• Since the transportation of bricks from earth is not viable the space bricks are developed.

Uses:

• These bricks can be used to construct the habitation structures on the lunar surface in the future.

Raw Materials used in Space Brick:

Bacteria:

• The bacterias are used to crystallize the bricks in any required shape.
• Sporosarcina pasteurii, a microorganism that produces calcium carbonate crystals through a metabolic pathway called ureolytic cycle.
• The bacteria uses the urea and calcium to form the crystals as a byproduct of the pathway.
• This property of the bacteria utilised by mixing it with a simulant of lunar soil.

Guar Gum:

• The gum of the guar beans is used for support replacing cement to reduce the carbon footprint, this can be utilised to make sustainable bricks on earth.
• Guar gum serves as a scaffold for carbonate precipitation which increases the strength of the material.

About Indian Institute of Science (IISc):

• Director– Govindan Rangarajan
• Location– Bengaluru, Karnataka

About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):

• Chairman– Kailasavadivoo Sivan
• Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka

Answer: 6)D

Explanation

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) Investor Protection Fund Trust (NSE IPFT) and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) have jointly developed and launched Platform for Investor Education (PIE), an online investor education resource centre. The PIE was launched in a virtual meet attended by Mr. Nagendraa Parakh, Executive Director of SEBI, Mr. Vikram Limaye MD & CEO of NSE and Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director of IIM Bangalore. PIE will serve as a unique platform to impart investor education in a simpler way through video, audio and other digital media formats.

Answer: 7)A

Explanation

Former Indian cricketer and Minister of Uttar Pradesh Chetan Chauhan (73 years) passed away due to COVID-19 complications. He played 40 Tests matches during his 12-year career and scored 2084 runs with 16 half-centuries and 2 wickets. He also played Ranji Trophy for Maharashtra and Delhi. He was conferred with Arjuna Award in 1981. He served as Minister for youth and sports in Uttar Pradesh Cabinet in 2018 and also as Minister of Sainik Welfare, PRD and Civil Security.

Answer: 8)B

Explanation

Mercedes Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) has won Formula One Spanish Grand Prix 2020. This was his 4th win of Formula 1, 2020 series and 88th Formula-1 victory of his overall victory. He made outright record 156th podium finish during his masterful victory at the Spanish Grand Prix. Max Verstappan (Red Bull – Netherlands) bagged the second position, followed by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes- Finland).